Studying. For a lot of people, it’s like going to the dentist. In the hours leading up to it, your insides squirm at the thought of breaking the tempting reverie of whatever TV show you’re bingeing online and plunking your derriere down in that chair. You wince on the car ride over, then walk back to your dorm room for *gulp* your chemistry textbook. But once you finally rip that Band-Aid off and get started, you realize that maybe you were being a bit of a baby after all, and before you know it, you’re craving the breakfast you couldn’t eat that morning.
Studying is a necessary evil. Nobody really loves it, but there’s a lot you can do to make it a little easier on yourself. And one of the best hacks I have found for this at Cedarville University is finding the perfect study spot — both on campus, and off.
Here’s my top three — and I’m not going to take the easy route and include the Centennial Library, because every college has one of those!
The SSC
The Stevens Student Center is the unofficial capital of Cedarville’s campus. It’s the place where you pick up those care packages from Mom, get a bite to eat with your friends, stop by Career Services for a mock interview, or if you’re like me, jam your laptop charger into an electrical outlet, collapse into one of the suspiciously ubiquitous comfy chairs, and get cracking on whatever assignment you’ve been procrastinating on. It is one of the busier spots on campus — definitely for students who work best with some noise in the background — but once you’ve been at it for an hour or two, you can get yourself a latte from Rinnova. Or you can raid the candy counter at the nearby Campus Store and chuckle maniacally as you return with a horde of Snickers bars; it’s really up to you!
Beans-n-Cream/Orion Coffee
OK, you got me: I cheated, two coffee shops in one. But they’re like milk and cookies — they just have to go together! Both of these places are located in downtown Cedarville, just a short walk or drive from campus.
Beans-n-Cream is the big brother of the two, possessing not just an affordable array of milkshakes, coffee drinks, and even café staples, but a table for just about every kind of studying you can imagine. Whether you need a veritable roundtable to plot your group’s upcoming presentation, or you desire a seat at the balcony barstool, you won’t have a problem getting comfortable there. Plus, the milkshakes come straight from Young’s Jersey Dairy!
For those days when you need to buckle down and get serious about taking care of that report you’ve officially put off until the last minute, you can’t do much better than the “little sibling”, Orion Coffee — reserved, hipster, and cool as moonlight. Maybe not the best spot for a group project, but definitely for penning your next A-plus paper! Or a special coffee date with your campus crush. Wink-wink. Nudge-nudge.
The Woods
Lastly, if you seek to escape the restraints of society entirely, you could always just abscond to any of a myriad of benches, logs, and cozy nooks along the Indian Mound Reserve hiking trail within walking distance from campus. Obviously, you’re not going to want to bring your laptop there (unless you have a portable electrical outlet you’ve been keeping hidden from the rest of us), and it can get a bit wet out there, but at the same time, there’s nothing like quite literally getting back to nature. It’s also an excellent spot for the occasional “Me and God” off-campus retreat for personal devotions!
Year and Major: Senior, English
Favorite Music Artist: Tim Hawkins
Favorite Quote: “I was ashamed of myself when I realized life was a costume party, and I attended with my real face.” -Franz Kafka
What do you like to do in your free time? Writing, spending time with my fiance and the dogs and calf at my fiance’s barn.
Favorite Bible Verse: Isaiah 55:1
Tags: #academics, #advice, #college, #education, #guide, #helpful, #studentlife, #study, #studying, #tips
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